Jesse Hogan

Jesse Hogan has been a reporter at The Age since 2004, and has been part of its sports department since 2008. He is primarily focused on cricket and has covered a number of the Australian team's overseas tours, including the 2011 World Cup. He also reports on AFL and soccer.

​The suspension of two IPL teams that looked set to be a financial blow for Shane Watson has become a financial boon, with the all-rounder surging to become Australia's highest-paid player in the competition with a $A1.96 million deal.

If fast-bowler Jake Reed makes his return to Victoria's team in coming weeks he will not take it for granted. The obvious reason for that is because it will have come after two injury-plagued years. The less obvious, but more pertinent, reason is that cricket has provided him a way out of a lifestyle that was taking him "off the rails".

It has been the recurring question in Australian cricket for much of the past decade: where have all the young batsmen gone? We might have a finally have a answer, with more under-23 batsmen making Sheffield Shield centuries that at any stage in the past two decades.

Peter Siddle hopes his impressive comeback from injury, snaring two wickets with the new ball in the Sheffield Shield, has convinced Australian selectors he's readyfor next week's first Test in New Zealand.